With the absence of the Wizard World tour this year something like this was bound to emerge. Thank God that the organizers realized what a great venue the Long Beach Convention Center is and decided to hold it there. It’s the ideal mini version of the San Diego Comic-Con. You got a shopping center across the street complete with shops & restaurants, and then within walking distance you have Pine St. which is basically Long Beach’s “Gaslamp Quarter”. This is shaping up to be a good show and it was barely announced today. Lionsgate & Aspen already confirmed. We are SO there!

Official Press Release

(Baltimore, MD May 13, 2009) MAD Event Management is proud to announce the Long Beach Comic Con, to be held October 2-4, 2009 at the Long Beach Convention Center (LBCC) in downtown Long Beach. The convention will feature the industry’s best and brightest comic book talent, publishers, gaming companies, mass-media guests and must-attend programming sessions.

In a show of support for this brand new convention Marvel has already pledged a limited edition incentive book which will be offered exclusively for show attendees who pre-order tickets. Lionsgate Films (SAW VI & Daybreakers) will be exhibiting on the show floor as well as comic publisher Aspen.

“The facility and staff at the LBCC are awesome, and the fans in the area that I had the privilege to meet at previous comic cons left a strong impression on me as well as on the guests and exhibitors. We’re excited to be coming back in October,” said event planner Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management.

Currently scheduled to exhibit on the show floor are Aspen Entertainment, CGC, and Fourth Dimension Entertainment. New exhibitors are signing up every day. Further announcements will be made with updated exhibitors.